WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Director: Mel Stuart
Music editor: Jack Tillar
IN
In 1785, Mozart was commissioned to write The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) also known as "The Day of Madness" ("Ossia la folle giornata"), which premiered at the Burgtheater on the first of May in 1786 (Melograni 189). It was originally a stage comedy written by Pierre Beaumarchais which was turned into a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (Melograni 192). It all takes place during a day of madness as it “makes fun of nobility and invokes freedom of thought and speech” (Melograni 192).
The very beginning sequence of the overture is the “musical key” that Willy Wonka plays on his musical lock for his characteristic candy room. It is symbolic that The Marriage of Figaro was used for this, as it ensues the madness of the guests’ day at the factory that begins right when the candy room door opens. This lock enters them into Wonka’s “world of pure imagination.” Little Mike Teeve’s mother is mistaken in believing that the musical sequence Wonka plays is written by Rachmaninoff, only represents her headstrong character that is prevalent throughout the whole movie.
Citation:
Melograni, Piero. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2007. Print.
Written by: Arianna Benincasa
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